Defy by Sara B. Larson
Before I give my review of Defy, I wanted to give another s/o to my newest followers! I hope you enjoy my reviews! I'm on Bookdictive Reviews every day, preparing posts and changing the smallest things about the layout. I couldn't do this without you guys!
Now on to my review of Defy!
Book: Defy by Sara B. Larson
Bookdictive Categorization: YA fantasy
Rating: 5/5 stars
Procurement: Netgalley ARC
Recommend? If yes, to whom?: Absolutely! I would recommend this to any YA fantasy lovers, or even someone who just wants an fast-paced, romantic fantasy story.
"True beauty is what lies inside of us, not what the world sees. A beautiful shell that houses a vile soul becomes sullied over time. But an outer shell, imperfect as it may be, that houses a beautiful soul shines with that beauty, radiating it for all who have eyes to see."
I seriously couldn't put this book down. Even with finals, I had to finish Defy. I mean, if you're reading books from the library that haven't been checked out since 1996, you'd be wanting a break, too. But I didn't need Defy for a break. I just needed it. Defy is the YA fantasy that my soul has been longing for since Poison Study, and I am ready to be obsessed with this series (YES IT'S A SERIES, IT'S BEEN CONFIRMED)!!
Also, no spoilers abound. When I give a five star review, I'm not going to spoil anything because I want you to go read it for yourself! But just so you know, I left out a lot. ;)
Basically, this girl named Alexa loses her parents when a sorcerer comes to her village, and to prevent herself from going to the birthing houses--kind of like those depressing asylums we learn about in the Victorian era that are filthy and people get mistreated, except this is specifically to birth more children for the kingdom's army--she chops off her hair Mulan-style and pretends to be the twin brother to her twin. Now please excuse my Mulan gifs because she literally has her hair chopped off in the first chapter.
Then THE CHANGE happens,
One girl...two guys...wait, this sounds familiar...I may be awful at math but I think I can solve this...is that..is that a...DEATH TRIANGLE OF LURVE?!
Buuuuuuuuuuut you can kind of tell from the start who she's going to pick. Alexa is a smart cookie, and knows that her feelings for one of the guys isn't there. The triangle doesn't dominate the book--yes, it's a central theme, but it doesn't distract from the story. Alexa remains a BAMF and while some reviews have claimed that Alexa's guy problems are too emotional, I wasn't bothered at all. She's a TEENAGED GIRL LIVING AS A GUY, AND NOT BECAUSE SHE ACTUALLY WANTS TO. That's like complaining about Harry being too whiny in Order of the Phoenix when everything goes to complete shit. HE'S A TEENAGER. Please tell me that you'd be totally "whatever, I'm a stone cold betch" if you were in this situation. If I'm not bothered by this, then you won't be. As I always say, I'm not afraid to hate on a book, and this book doesn't deserve my wrath. The pacing is superb, it's not completely predictable, and it leaves you wanting more. I'd have loved to see more world building, but I have a feeling that there will be more in the next book. I look forward to seeing this series continue!
10 comments :
Dude, I love all the MULAN Gifs! I love that movie! Thanks for the review! You actually just helped me make my choice for what to read next!
Your new follower Tt @ Never Ending Stories
Thanks Tt! I was so excited to see you comment! But yeah, check it out, I saw that a lot of reviews were negative because of the love triangle, but I really didn't mind it. It's a very good read!
Ditto on the Mulan Gifs! haha Added to my TBR list! New follower here! isabelleadrid.blog .... blah you know the rest. :)
Hi Isabelle, thanks for following! I'll make sure to follow back! Add me on Goodreads, I'd love to see your updates when you start reading it. :)
My roommate hates Mulan so I was like ehhhh I'll take the risk because I love that movie!
I'm always hesitant to mention love trianges (and insta-love) in my reviews. I do it anyway, but it usually pushes people away from the book, even if I praise most of it. :(
I really don't mind love triangles, though, so I don't think I'll be bothered by the one in this book. I'll be reading it soon. I've read quite a variety of reviews of this book (from DNF to 5 stars) and I'm hoping I'll enjoy it! Great review, Mollie. :)
Thanks Kaitlin! I like warning people about those death triangles but sometimes that don't interfere too terribly. I think this is definitely doable to finish, because typically if I have a DNF I've given it like two or three tries already, and I didn't get bored once! :)
Plus you'll love Damian (hopefully)!
AH! I'M SO HAPPY YOU LOVED IT. <3 Brilliant, right??
I don't really mind love triangles either but this one was really a frustrating one because you already knew who she was going to pick! I loved it never-the-less and I can't wait to see how she is going to continue with the story for book 2.
This sounds awesome! I too rage against love triangles, but I'm glad to see this one isn't so bad :) Visiting from ramblingsonreadings.blogspot.com; stop by and say hey! Happy New Year!
I really feel you! Especially with the pressure of being a blogger.
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